Written by Lexi Cioffi.
My name is Lexi Cioffi and I am from Frederick, MD. I have a major in Business Administration, Leadership and Management with a minor in Spanish. This Summer 2022, I was fortunate enough to spend 6 weeks in Madrid, Spain and Alicante, Spain as part of a TU Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program.
How did you choose your location for Study Abroad?
When I thought about studying abroad, I knew that I would want to be introduced to an entirely new culture and go as far as possible while being able to have a support system through students and faculty from Towson. For this reason, I knew that Spain would be too perfect of an opportunity to pass up! As someone who plans to continue traveling, I loved being able to immerse myself completely into Spanish language and culture while also having an amazing introduction to European life and meeting other students from countries all around the world!
Did your experiences abroad meet your expectations? Exceed them?
My expectations studying abroad were certainly exceeded. I knew that I would learn more about Spanish language and culture, but never could have guessed the extent by which my knowledge would grow. My level of Spanish language improved so much more than I thought I could, and I learned so many new things about Spanish culture that I never would have otherwise known. Experience truly is the best teacher, and I had an amazing opportunity to learn so much about others and myself all while forming lifetime memories with a newfound group of friends. I feel more independent and more capable of facing challenges, no matter how intimidating they may seem at first.
Talk about your favorite spot in your home away from home! Where? Why?
One of my favorite places that I visited almost daily in Madrid, Spain was a family owned fruit market. At the market, the family sold really delicious and inexpensive fruit, often cut up and wrapped with a cute little fork to eat it with. I loved handing my euro coins to the friendly woman every day. It really became my favorite place when eventually, after having gone there for weeks, the owner came to recognize me and had begun to set aside some cut up fruit especially for me to buy. It made me feel so at home and so much more fulfilled with my experience.
You could hardly believe your eyes when you saw… What? Why?
One of the most shocking things that I learned about Spain is how undeveloped and untouched the majority of the land is. There were multiple occasions where I traveled by train to both the very north and very south of Spain, and in between large cities and with the exception of small villages, there is a vast amount of land that has been untouched! This was very different from what I have seen all of my life in the United States and I loved having the experience of riding a train through the open Spanish countryside.
What challenged you while you were abroad? Why?
One of my biggest challenges while abroad was being away from my family and friends for such a long period of time. Although I have moved away from my hometown to attend school at Towson, I really enjoy being able to come home from Towson to visit my family and friends when I get a chance. Something that really helped was the amazing group of students that I studied abroad with this summer! We all supported each other and I made so many new friends that I never would have known if we hadn’t had this amazing experience together!
What would you say to students worried/concerned/afraid of studying abroad?
To students that are worried about studying abroad, my best advice would be to take a step back and think about the things that you are going to want to remember most from both your youth and your college years. You know yourself best! If facing the challenge and diving into a culture completely different from that of the United States excites you even the slightest bit, you should take the chance and go while you have the amazing opportunity presented to you. It will not always be this easy to travel! However, if you feel like going abroad probably isn’t for you, I would seek other alternatives to gain as much cultural insight as you can while staying closer to home. Everyone is different and you should never force yourself to do something that your heart truly isn’t in!
- This is the first photo taken of our wonderful group, on our very first full day being in Madrid! This was taken right after we all received our personal public transportation cards so that we could get all around the city by bus or metro with ease!
- The absolute beautiful view overlooking the historic city of Toledo, Spain. With old stone streets and so many touches of history, it was very difficult to leave after only spending one day exploring!
- One example of the spectacular art that can be found in both historical buildings and art museums in Spain. During my time abroad, I went to over 5 different artistic exhibits and got to see such well-preserved artistic history! Art was such an important factor in my cultural understanding of Spain.
- Just one building out of thousands of examples in Spain showcasing the breathtaking architecture. All 8 cities that I had the chance to visit had cherished old treasures, each architectural style and image just as show stopping as the last. These included royal palaces, gardens, castles, and plazas.
- The view from the top of the Castle of Santa Barbara in Alicante, Spain. This coastal Spanish city boasts an amazing coastline, including multiple mountains and an impenetrable castle fortress that played a crucial role in protecting the royalty of the past!